Motor-vehicle transmission mechanism



April 5, 1927.

2 Shee'cis-Sheerl S'uwen You Ear/awry E. L. HARRY MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSMIssloN MECHANISM A Originl Filed yFeb. 28, 1924 April 5 1927.

E. L. HARRY MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Original Filed4 Feb. 28. 1924 2` Sheets-Sheet? my A T, Lul

@ttolilclj Patented Apr.- .5, 1927.

V vUNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

naar. I.; HARRY, or PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, AssIeNoR 'ro EDWARD s. Evans, orA DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MOTOR-VEHICLE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

lApplicationledFebruary 28, 1924, Serial No. 695,632. lnewed December 27, 1926.

This invention relates to drive mechanisms for motor vehicles and more particularly for ,1o verse, and it is'also an object to cushion such shocks and stresses as are met with by the driven parts in transit of the vehicle, arising, for example, from a sudden application of the brakes or from an encounter of the vehicle lwheels with some obstacle in the roadway.. .l Y

A further object is to effect al shifting of the vehicle body and its load when the driving force encounters an abnormally heavy resistance, so that the load acts to a considerable -extent to supplement the force applied by the vehicle motor in overcoming such resistance. y

A feature of the invention is the attain'- ment of the specified objects by the employment of gearing arranged in its entirety within the rear axle housing and thus adapt ed to run in lubricant and fully protected from dust and dirt.

In attaining these various and other objects, the invention' contemplates, .in a preferredembodiment thereof, the journaling of the'rear axle housing in thewheels thereof, so` as to provide for a rocking of said housing about the axis of said wheels, and rigidly mounting upon said housing depending arms, the lower ends of which seat the rear springs of the vehicle, the live ax'le within said housing being driven through a gearing re-acting upon the housing so that under an abnormal stress said housing is rocked in a direction to angular-ly advance and elevate said arms and the load which they terminally car Sraiid preferred embodiment is hereinafter described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, n

Fig. 1 is a view'in axial elevatiompartly sectional, of a rear axle embodying the inyvention.

`Fig. 2; is a side view of the complete vehicle showing in dash lines such an advanced position of the parts asmay be established under an abnormal resistance to the driving force.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section view through the gearing housed inthe rear axle, the section lbeing taken upon line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the rear axle on line 4-4of Fig. 1, showing one of the load-carrying arms which. depend from the housing 'of said axle.

Infthese views thereference character 1 designates the sills of the frame of a motor vehicle, 2 the front wheels thereof, 3 the rear pivotally mounted, asindicated `at 9, upon the lower ends of paired arms 10. The upper endsiof said arms are` irtegrally connected,

as indicated at 11 (Fig. 4), the ortion 11 embracing theunder side of the ousing 4 and being clamped rigidly upon said housing by bolts 12 engaging a semi-,circular piece 13 surmounting said housing. 14 des- .ignates a key which insures turning of the arms 10 in unison with the housing 4 when the latter isrocked. -As may be best seen in` Fig. 4, a forwardly projecting-'lug 15 is formed integrally with the seat 7, and to said lug is pivoted the rear end of a radius rod 16` having its forward end pivoted at 17 to the frame 1. ,4

' Considering now the drive mechanism, 18 is the usual two-part live axle within the housing 4. The outer 'end of each part of said axle has a drive connection to the corresponding rear'wheel through a hub cap 19 saddle keyed to said live axle, as is seen at 2O in Fig. 1` and rigidly attached to said wheel by bolts 21. The usual differential bevel gears 22 establish a drive to the axle parts 18 from the casing23 enclosing said gears, said gears 'and casing being arranged in the enlarged central portion of the housing 4. The in vention also arranges 'in said portion a train of gearing which serves both to increase the ratio of speed reduction and to subject the housing 4 to a reaction torque for purposes hereinafter set forth. Thus the casing 23 of the differential gears integrally. carries at one end a concentric ring 24 to which-a companion lring 25 is secured by bolts 26. Portions of the rings 24 and 25 are., spaced apart to accommodate pinions 27 journaled member 39l on said casing,is carriedby an beneath the same.l The pinion 41 is 'through anti-friction bearings 34. Said sleeve'is keyed, as indicated at 35, to a bearing 36 which is rigidly supported from the housing 4 through an arm 37. At the opposite side of the differential casing 23 an anti-friction bearing 38, receiving a ]ournal arm 39 which im similarly rigidly carried by the housin 4. 40 is a (gearexternally formed upon t ie ring 32 an 41 is a pinion having driving engagement with said eait as upon a shaft 42journaled in anti-friction bearings 43, one of which 'is formed in a other being carried in spaced relationto the extension 44 by a hanger 4@ rigidly carried by the housing 4 therebeneath. A. cylindrical casing 46 is journaled at its ends in the hanger 45 and in a bearing 47 carried by the extension 44 (see Fig. 1), and integrally with said casing there is formed a forwardly projecting bearing 48 (see Fi 3) tor the propeller shaft 49. Within t ef casing 46, a pair of bevel pinions 50 establish a drive from the propeller shaft to the shaft 42.

Considering now the operation of the described invention, and tracing first the drive to the wheel 19, the propel-ler shaft 49 drives the shaft 42 through. the bevel pinions 50. The pinion 41 and gear ring 32 transmit the drive to the planetary fpinions 27. The primary driving action o said pinions is expended in their planetary travel around the pinion 29, the latter being restrained by its rigid connection to the sleeve 30, which is itself rigidly carried by the housing 4 by the arm 37. y their planetary travel, said pinions rotatively drive the ring'structure 24-25 which mounts said pinions. Said rin structure drives the differential casing, an( the latter through the gears 22 drives the live axle 18. The. latter through the cap 19 drives the wheel 3. A

The pinions 27 have a secondary driving function, which they exercise only when the resistance to the drive is considerable.

lVhen such is the case the reaction thrust of .said pinions exerted upon the control pinion 29 will overcome the resistance offered by the load to rocking of said pinion,

and the latter will be rocked together with the sleeve 30 upon which it is fast, the housing 4 rigidly connected to said sleeve by the support 37, and the arms 10 which are rigidly carried by said housing. The direction of this movement is such as to swing said arms l0 forwardly and upwardly, thus acting through the springs 6 to raise and advance the frame 1 and the load of the vehicle. Theextent. to which the load iS thus raised is proportionate to the resistance encountered by .the drive, and the weight of the load is accordingly rendered reactive to supplement the driving force in overcoming tractive resistances.

What I claim is:

'1.1 In a drive mechanism for motor vehicles, a live axle, a housing for said axle, a ground wheel carrying said housingand having drive'n engagement with said live axle, a member fast upon said housing and depending therefrom, means for supporting the vehicle load upon'said depending member at a point normally below the housing, and drive mechanism for said axle within and reactin upon said housing rotatively, whereby sai housing may rock under a pre-y determined driving stressto rotativelyadvance and elevate said load supporting member. A

2. ,In a drive mechanism for motor vehicles, a two-part live axle, differential drive Oears for the parts of said axle, a s eed reduction gear train driving said di erential gears, and a housing for said di'erential gears and speed reduction train adapted -orv a limited rotation about said live axle and reacted upon rotatively by said reduction train to absorb shocks arising :trom heavy resistance to the drive.

3. In a drive mechanism for motor vehicles, a ground wheel, drive mechanism therefor including a live axle, a housing carried by said ground wheel and enclosing said drive mechanism, adapted for a limited rotation about said live axle, and rotatively reacted upon by said drive mechanism, and means opposing the vehicle load to rotation of said housing.

4. In a drive mechanism for motor vehicles a ground wheel, drive mechanism therefor, a housing carried by said ground wheel, enclosing said drive mechanism and rotatively reacted upon by said mechanism, and a load support rigidly depending from said housing and normally carrying the load at ay point below the axis of said wheel, said ber and arxn-whenthe resistiuicl'a to the drive exceeds the restraint exercised on said arm with said plnion, and a mounting for said'l 6.Ina

a vload support upon said arm, agear co axial with said live' axle within the housing, means rigidly connecting saidgear to` the housing, a p1n1on meshing with saidl gear,

an annular gear having driving engagement` inion actuable b .orbital travel ofvthe pinion to drive said ve axle, thelirstmentioned y hicies, a l1ve.axle, a road wheel connected to gear being rotatively actuable bysaid pinion when the'gresistanee tothe drive exceeds the restraint vimposed., through said arm and housing upon'the pinion, wherebythe load is'.

of' pinions'connectedfto the differential, a ",I. In' a drive-mechanism .forx motor ve-` hicles, a livejaxleyta housing for said axle'- angularly lifted by said arm.VV

a groundwheel carrying 'said housing an having 'driven engagement 'with' said vlive axle, a member fast upon said housingand dependin therefrom, means for supporting the vehic e load upon said depending mem- -ber at a drive-mec anisxn for said axle within and fre-z actin npon said housing rotatively, whereby said ousing may roc and elevate said load supporting member,- a

drive `mechanisx'n .for motor ve-D j hicles, a live axle, a housing ior. .,sa idjaxle,' al1-arm depending rigidly from' said.housing,f

' "'f,igears.for the yparts ofxsaid axle, a s d" reint normally 'below the housing under a predeter-v; mineddriving stress to rotatively advance lpropellershaft, geariiigestablishing a drive romv said shaft ltosaid ,drive mechanism vwithin' the housing anda 'casin fonnsaid gearing pivotally `carried by basing.

, +8. Inaqdgige mechanism'for motor ve' 2hicles, a two-part live axle, dierential drive. i

duction gear'y train driving said `di erential gears', and a member directly subjected-to- 'nis'moonnected to' the live axle, a plurality gear fixed tothe housing, said pinions being l axle to absorb shocks arising from 4heavy resistance to the drive.

rotatable aboutand' in Amesh with the gear,

anothergear rotatable aboutsaid pinions and in 'mesh therewith, a second' housing rotatably supported from the first and hjaving a shaft therein connectedtosaid latter gear, means f or 'driving said shaft, `and load carrying springs supported on said iirst 60 houslng.

tion.

L. HARRY.'

In'testmony whereof I sign ythis specifica- 

